PLANS to build holiday cottages at a farm located between Chester and Ellesmere Port have been given the thumbs-up.

Applicants, The Planning & Design Associates had sought permission to change the use at Top Farm, Croughton, from an existing residential dwelling into a holiday cottage, with redundant agricultural barns being converted into further holiday cottages.

The proposal, which features a total of seven holiday lets, originally also sought to include a café/coffee shop on the site, but this was removed following objections from the local area and comments from the council's highways officer.

The applicants had stated: "The main farmstead is now worked independently by local contractors who, due to the nature of the ground conditions, only produce a haylage crop once/twice a year and is not sufficient to sustain the viability of the farm as a single going concern.

"The scheme however seeks to maintain the agricultural use of the main farmstead but seeks permission for alternative uses within the application to create a diversification with a mixed use development that can operate in harmony with the existing uses on the site and ensure the viability of the site/land is preserved."

A Cheshire West and Chester Council planning officer noted the proposed development would be on Green Belt land, but the plans involved conversion of existing buildings, not used for a number of years, with very minor amendments sought.

The highways officer removed objections to the proposal, but recommended that conditions be implemented that required parking spaces and electric vehicle charging points to be provided prior to first use as holiday lets.

To compensate for the expected loss of bat roosts, the applicants are to adhere to a bat mitigation report which would see the installation of four bat access slates and four bat bricks, to allow bats access in gaps between the roofing slates and the felt. Two bat access ridge tiles will also be installed on the main house. Nest boxes would also be provided for swallows.

The plans were given approval by the council, subject to a number of planning and development conditions.

Among them is the need to supply a foul and surface water drainage scheme for the site, plus a construction environmental management plan.

The maximum stay at the holiday lets would be for 28 days at a time.